Warren Spector Praises Junction Point for Epic Mickey Work

Disney has confirmed the rumors that it is closing down the Junction Point development studio in the wake of smaller than expected sales for Epic Mickey 2: Power of Two.

Now Warren Spector, the leader of the company, has reacted to the news via Facebook, talking about the time he has spent with Disney intellectual properties.

In his message, the game designer says that, “I’ve had some of the most magical times of my life, fulfilling several life-long dreams. I’ve gotten to know Disney fans and Disney cast members, gotten hands on with Disney’s history, walked where Walt walked. ‘Magical’ really is the only word.”

Spector says that he currently has no plans for the near future and wants to take the time to thank all those he worked with during his time at Junction Point.

He adds, “I said to myself as Junction Point embarked on the Epic Mickey journey that, worst case, we’d be ‘a footnote in Disney history.’ Looking back on it, I think we did far better than that. With Mickey Mouse as our hero, we introduced a mainstream audience to some cool ‘core game’ concepts, and, most especially, we restored Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to a place of prominence.”

The original concept for Epic Mickey was based on reviving the back catalog of Disney and bringing a number of forgotten characters back to light.

The first game in the series sold around 1.2 million units since it was launched, but the sequel, named Power of Two, has only managed to move 270,000 copies on the United States market since it was launched in November 2012.

Junction Point was created in 2005, with most staff coming from the defunct Ion Storm, and was acquired by Disney two years later.

Warren Spector is a celebrated developer who has worked on titles like Wing Commander, Ultima, System Shock, Thief and Deus Ex.